On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 09:21:00 -0400, "The Causey Way" <death@tospam> wrote:
>I recently had a rear tire go flat. Inspecting the tube, I found a pin hole near the valve, but I
>can't find a corresponding hole in the tire. I've used the tire for a bit since with no problems.
>So do most people replace the tire with every flat or is that not necessary? Thanks.
>
Yes, you should replace your tire *and* tube every time you get a flat. You then give the almost new
tire and tube to the youngest bike mechanic at your shop. S/he is the one in charge of quality
control for the tire manufacturers and will make certain that the tire and tube are properly
stress-tested and the results are reported in the national 'customer throws away yet another almost
perfect tire for no good reason' database.....
Actually, sounds like something very small made a hole in the tube and then dropped away, either
while riding or when you did the repair. Finding such a hole could be very hard. I'll check the tire
carefully to see if anything is still embedded in it. If not, patch the tube, reuse the tire, and
see what happens. Sounds as if this has worked out for you.
Short of a cut, no need to throw out a tire because of a flat. Then again, if you like keeping bike
mechanics in free tires, toss the puppy!